Retired FIFA referee George Saija has sparked a war of words with referees’ manager at the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Alex Kotey, implying he’s partly to be blamed for the poor refereeing performances in Ghanaian football.
According to Saija, Alex Kotey often turned away the Referee Association of Ghana (RAG) whenever they attempted to get across any grievances, directing them to the General Secretary.
Saija revealed the relationship between the RAG with Alex Kotey was severed after the latter assumed his current role at the GFA in Kurt Okraku’s first term.
“The very time Kurt won the election, the very first training we had was at Pentecost Centre at Kasoa; by then Attifuh, was alive. My great friend, may his soul rest in peace. He was the national instructor. He was there with me. We did everything together.
After Alex was employed, that particular relationship severed entirely. If you want to suggest anything and you go to him, he will tell you to go see the General Secretary,” he sent you back to Alex,” he said on the Sports Pack show on Max FM.
Alex Kotey rebutted these allegations from Saija, insisting he follows the association’s organogram just as other individuals would in any other organization.
“The referee committee is the sole group responsible for refereeing in the member association. I am between the FA and the referee committee.
Even in my case, I report to the General Secretary. So if you want to discuss anything, I don’t have all the power, so the person I’ll refer you to is the General Secretary,” Kotey said to Nana Darkwa Gyasi on Max FM.
The referees’ manager went on to reveal that the ideas the Referees Association of Ghana had were already on the programme of the GFA to enhance refereeing performances.
